Local health leaders publish key decision making document on future of local hospital services

Local health leaders have today published a key document ahead of the decision making meeting on the future of hospital services for people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales.

NHS Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs have published their Decision Making Business Case (DMBC) at www.nhsfuturefit.org/DMBC and circulated it to members of the Joint Committee of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs. This document will support the Committee in making a decision on the future of hospital services provided at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital when they meet on 29 January.

The DMBC provides an update to the Pre Consultation Business Case, bringing together all the work that has been carried out by the Future Fit programme over the last six years. It incorporates the options development phase and the impact assessments that have been undertaken, the findings of the independent reviews and the robust assurance process that has been followed. It also includes the feedback from the public consultation, details of the conscientious consideration phase and the plans that have been developed to help lessen the impact the proposals may have on travel and transport and on seldom heard groups.

Dr Simon Freeman, Accountable Officer for NHS Shropshire CCG said: “We are pleased to be able to publish the CCGs’ Decision Making Business Case. This is an important document that details the stages of the Future Fit journey over the last six years. We share people’s frustration as to how long this process has taken, however, we are confident that we have undertaken a thorough process and it is now time to proceed to the final decision-making process.”

David Evans, Chief Officer at NHS Telford & Wrekin CCG commented: “The publishing of the Decision Making Business Case follows successful meetings with NHS England and the Future Fit Programme Board and marks the final stage before the decision making meeting on 29 January. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved to help get us to thispoint – our doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, local people, patients and partners.”

The DMBC includes the following seven recommendations for members of the Joint Committee to receive and approve:

1. Consultation ProcessTo confirm that the Committee and its constituent CCGs have met their statutory duties and ensured that an effective and robust public consultation process has been undertaken and will be used to inform the decisions made.

2. Ongoing EngagementTo support the need for the CCGs to continue to engage with and feedback to stakeholders the outcome of the consultation and the decision-making process, including those from seldom heard groups.

3. Principles of ConsultationTo reaffirm the model underpinning the future provision of hospital services for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and mid Wales upon which the consultation process was based.

4. Consultation FindingsTo note that the Programme Board has confirmed by consensus that the consultation findings have presented no new viable alternative models or no new themes or key issues that might influence the preferred option.

5. Preferred OptionTo confirm the CCGs’ previous unanimous decision on the preferred option (Option 1) of The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becoming an Emergency Care site and The Princess Royal Hospital becoming a Planned Care site, with a 24-hour Urgent Care Centre at both hospitals.

6. DMBCTo receive and approve the contents of the DMBC, including its key appendices.

7: Implementation OversightTo note and approve the proposal for an Implementation Oversight Group to be established under the STP governance structure to take forward oversight of the development of the Outline Business Case and Full Business Case.

The Joint Committee of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs will be held in public at 6.30pm on Tuesday, 29 January 2019 at Harper Adams University, Edgmond, Newport TF10 8NB. The meeting will be live streamed via a webcast that can be accessed at www.nhsfuturefit.org and members of the public are invited to attend. Free parking is available on site.

Joint Committee of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGsThe Joint Committee is comprised of an independent chair, three independent clinicians, and 12 members of the CCG Governing Bodies (three clinicians, one executive and two lay members from each CCG). All members, including the independent chair, are voting members. Below is a list of names:

The voting members shall each have one vote. The decision of the Joint Committee would be by majority vote and be binding on both CCGs.

The Joint Committee was convened in August 2017 and on behalf of the two CCGs acted as the decision-making body that received the recommendations from the Future Fit Programme Board on the outcome of the option appraisal process for the reconfiguration of acute hospital services.

At this meeting the Committee unanimously confirmed the two options the CCGs believed were deliverable, together with the recommendation of a preferred option and the agreement to proceed to formal consultation. This was then subjected to the NHS England assurance process.

Decision Making Business Case (DMBC)

• The purpose of the DMBC is to support the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin CCGs in their decision-making process on the future of hospital services provided at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital• The document brings together all the work that has been carried out over the last five years, from developing the options and the impact assessments, to the independent reviews and assurance process through to the public consultation, findings and conscientious consideration phase.• The DMBC has been developed post consultation and primarily updates the information set out in the Pre-Consultation Business Case (PCBC)• The DMBC sets out: • The journey of Future Fit, highlighting key decision points and external assurances • Progress made on some key elements of work that were agreed either as part of the follow up from the NHSE assurance process in 2017 or as set out post Joint Committee as being required by the CCGs • The consultation findings and how the Programme has conscientiously considered the consultation feedback in the final proposals and how it will address key concerns raised by the public and stakeholders. • Key mitigation plans in response to the numerous impact assessment that have been made, including impacts on protected characteristic groups • How the Programme has developed its decision making by examining the local criteria and national tests for reconfiguration

Future Fit consultation

The Future Fit public consultation ran from 30 May to Tuesday 11 September 2018 and asked for the views of people across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid Wales on the following two options:

Option 1: The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becomes an Emergency Care site and the Princess Royal Hospital becomes a Planned Care site(This is the CCGs’ preferred option)

Option 2: The Princess Royal Hospital becomes an Emergency Care site and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital becomes a Planned Care site

Under either option, both hospitals would have an Urgent Care Centre that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There patients would receive care for illnesses and injuries that are not life or limb-threatening but require urgent attention.